Cadillac to extensively use aluminum in CT6 chassis

Cadillac to extensively use aluminum in CT6 chassis

GM will use a whole host of new assembly techniques, centred around aluminum, to put together the new Cadillac CT6 sedan.Handout

Leading up to the reveal of Cadillac‘s flagship CT6 sedan, GM has detailed what we can expect under its sheet metal.

The CT6 will boast what GM calls a “multi-material construction” throughout its chassis. The new advancements include patented aluminum spot-welding techniques and aluminum laser welding — which essentially seamlessly join exterior panels — along with self-piercing body rivets allowing GM to cleanly join different types of materials, and flow-drill screws enabling the use of adhesives when joining different materials.

These new advancements were the result of a $300-million investment in GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant, where pre-production CT6 sedans are already being assembled. As a result, these new techniques are said to maximize stiffness, safety and keep weight down — in fact, it’s said the CT6 will weigh less than the CTS sedan, despite the CT6’s longer dimensions overall.

We’ll bring you the rest of the details on the CT6 when it officially debuts on March 31, one day ahead of this year’s New York International Auto Show.